<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The White Lotus by turbo_denali</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25390246">The White Lotus</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/turbo_denali/pseuds/turbo_denali'>turbo_denali</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The White Lotus [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Airbending &amp; Airbenders, Avatar Universe, Avatar prequel, Avatar universe - original work, Bending (Avatar), Earthbending &amp; Earthbenders, Firebending &amp; Firebenders, Gen, Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, Inspired by Legend of Korra, Multi, Order of the White Lotus, Origin Story, Other, Pai Sho, Pre-Avatar: Legend of Korra, Pre-Avatar: The Last Airbender, The White Lotus, Waterbending &amp; Waterbenders, legend of korra prequel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:00:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,552</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25390246</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/turbo_denali/pseuds/turbo_denali</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>I have been called many things in my long life.  My parents named me Nimiuktuk in honor of the deep, spring-fed river that tunnels under the glacier and bursts out into the open where the ice meets the tundra.  Family and old friends knew me best as Nimi.  My critics call me other names: Tennoq’s Shame and the Lotus’s Wolf.  Colleagues and students addressed me as Master, then as Grand Master.  But to the one who loved me most, none of these names mattered.</p><p>I am Miska of the Northern Water Tribe, and I am here to tell you about the origin of the Order of the White Lotus.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The White Lotus [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838848</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Forward</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Note: Feel free to skip this if you just want to get to the story.  The following message is aimed primarily at anyone who might remember me from before my self-imposed isolation, and the curious few who might wish for some background information that’s relevant to the story (though you can certainly understand and enjoy <i>The White Lotus</i> without reading this).</p><p>
  <span class="u"></span>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="u">Forward</span>
  </p>
</div>My life is not what it once was.  I dropped off the face of the earth about five years ago when I left a stressful full-time job, an unhealthy relationship, and, unfortunately, my writing habit.  It’s taken half a decade to get my life in order, but I’ve done it.  I’m pursuing a new career, I’m getting the medical care I so desperately needed, and I transitioned from female to male - all of which has helped put me in a position to start making a comeback.  To you, dear reader, this means I can finally get off my ass and get back to writing!<p><i>The White Lotus</i> is first and foremost a story about the personal growth and experiences that define who we are.  Those of you familiar with my previous work might be surprised and disappointed to learn this story has nothing to do with Korra or Asami, or any other character from <i>The Legend of Korra</i> or <i>Avatar: The Last Airbender</i>.  I hope that does not deter you; the themes and philosophies addressed in my LoK fanfiction are all present in this new story.  In fact, this story provides an opportunity to more deeply explore those themes and philosophies within the context of Avatar canon: We will see how the Northern and Southern Water Tribes became culturally divided.  We will investigate gender, spirituality, dynamics between benders and non-benders, and politics.  We will find romance and friendship in likely and unlikely places.  And we will experience all of this through the eyes of a genderqueer/non-binary character named Miska as they witness the birth of the ancient Order of the White Lotus.</p><p>This brings me to my next point.  I want to take a moment to discuss the fact that although I will be drawing from my own knowledge and some personal experiences in writing <i>The White Lotus</i>, Miska is neither a Gary Stu/Mary Sue character, nor a projection of myself.  I am using Miska as a vehicle for sharing this story and exploring the Avatar world; the use of the first-person perspective is a purely stylistic decision.</p><p>One last word before we set sail with Miska:</p><p>I am not perfect.  I’ve been known to make typos and grammatical errors.  Additionally, I intend to draw directly from the Avatar canon wherever possible and am drawing from the same cultures Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino looked to when creating <i>A:TLA</i> and <i>LoK</i> whenever gaps need filling.  If you notice any mistakes, note anything that conflicts with canon, and/or wish to comment on the way I’ve filled some of those gaps, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.  I appreciate feedback.</p><p>Now, without further ado, let us step into Miska’s boat and see where we land.</p><p>- TD</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Promise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I have been called many things in my long life.  My parents named me Nimiuktuk in honor of the deep, spring-fed river that tunnels under the glacier and bursts out into the open where the ice meets the tundra.  Family and old friends knew me best as Nimi.  My critics call me other names: Tennoq’s Shame and the Lotus’s Wolf.  Colleagues and students addressed me as Master, then as Grand Master.  But to the one who loved me most, none of these names mattered.</p>
<p>I am Miska of the Northern Water Tribe, and I am here to tell you about the origin of the Order of the White Lotus.</p>
<p>//</p>
<p>My parents must have always known I was different.  Maybe even a little special, somehow.  The signs were there.  I was a prodigious waterbender, manipulating water with ease as a child.  Grandmother used to say that I was transfixed by water when I was an infant.  She said even the spirits seemed interested in me.  I mastered all of the basic forms before my twelfth winter.  By the time I was fourteen, my skill surpassed that of every other young bender in our village.  I was assertive and aggressive, and a little arrogant, too.  I was strong and willful and clearly destined for greatness - everything one would expect from a great warrior’s son.  There was just one problem.</p>
<p>I was a girl.</p>
<p>I had a knack for the healing arts, as I did with most aspects of waterbending.  I studied them because I had to, but my heart was not in it - nor was it in any of the other more feminine arts.  I was singularly disinterested in anything my sisters cared about.  I followed my older brother, Kenai, and I adored him.  I was his shadow.  If Kenai was going fishing, then I was, too.  If Kenai was practicing his waterbending, then I practiced alongside him.</p>
<p>My brother-worship amused everyone at first.  People found it endearing, I think.  For his part, I think my brother just enjoyed having someone look up to him.  It appeased his innate sense of leadership and responsibility.  It also probably didn't hurt that young women would stroke his ego and tell him he was "so sweet" for doting on his little sister.  None of that mattered to me, of course.  As I said, I adored him.  I was delighted to hang on his every word.  It is no wonder that Kenai shines brightest in all of my earliest memories.  In fact, the name I bear today was a gift from him.</p>
<p>"I pity anyone who gets into a real fight with you, Nimi," he once told me.  "You may be a girl, but you fight like a polar bear-dog!  Mother should've named you Miska."</p>
<p>Sadly, these happy years did not last.  My parents grew less indulgent of my adventures and Kenai's mentorship with each passing year until things finally came to an explosive head.</p>
<p>I was fourteen when it happened.  So many things were changing.  Kenai went ice dodging the previous spring, and he was to pledge himself to the tribe and become a full-fledged warrior after the winter solstice.  My parents - my father in particular - were of the opinion that I should have grown tired of sparring and hunting and focused my great waterbending talent on healing.  And people were beginning to talk.  There had always been gossip about Tennoq and Pinga's daughter-who-would-be-a-son, but now it was taking a darker turn.  People whispered that there was something wrong with me.  Many claimed that spirits visited our home at night and some even wondered if I was possessed by one.  Regardless of the cause, one thing was clear: there was something wrong with Tennoq's youngest child.</p>
<p>I was young, but I wasn't an idiot.  I knew I was different.  I simply didn't care.  Unfortunately, my father cared a great deal.  He said I could at least try to act more like my sisters - that I would bring shame on our family if I didn’t stop my foolishness.  And one afternoon, I proved him right.</p>
<p>//</p>
<p>"Don't take it easy on me," I said to Kenai.</p>
<p>He grinned and shot back, "As long as you don't take it easy on me, either!"</p>
<p>It was late in the afternoon and we had the sparring ring to ourselves.  The only person around was Master Amak.  He wouldn't openly subvert my father by letting me train with the boys, but he did turn a blind eye to whatever we did when the boys weren't training.  That day, he sat under a nearby awning and busied himself with mending a spear while Kenai and I traded a few testing blows.</p>
<p>Kenai had several years of practice to his advantage, but I had enough skill and raw talent to hold my own against him.  My limbs moved not as if I were dictating the flow of water, but flowing with it.  I brushed aside, slid past, and redirected each of his attacks, following with clever counterattacks.  The sparring match went on and on, and I became faintly aware of a small audience near the edge of the ring.  I blocked out the murmur of voices and focused on the growing sense of exhaustion I felt.</p>
<p>It took a moment for me to realize that the exhaustion I felt wasn't my own.  It was Kenai's.  I could actually feel the sluggishness of his movements translated through his waterbending.  It was as if I could feel the energy in his waterbending, first being drawn in with a breath, then focused into whatever it is that lets benders harness the elements.  Having tapped into this new sensation, I very quickly realized I could anticipate his attacks.  And that is exactly what I did.</p>
<p>Kenai must have sensed that something shifted, because he unleashed a flurry of attacks in a last-ditch effort to regain control of the match.  He put me on the defensive, and I was hard-pressed to keep up.  One attack, and then another, and another, and another - each one strong enough to knock an unaware opponent senseless, but also increasingly desperate.  A pair of water whips finally caught me off guard and sent me flying to the edge of the ring.  I barely managed to stay in.  Somehow, I swung back around to face him in time to counter the ice pick he hadn't yet formed.  I grabbed his arm as the ice was forming and let his momentum swing him into the ice wall I waved up half a second earlier.</p>
<p>The wall melted away, leaving a stunned Kenai on his rump.  He eyed me with concern.  His expression said he’d finally realized something about me and he couldn’t decide whether it was good or bad.  He shook his head and our audience threw jeers at him as he got to his feet.</p>
<p>“You can stop taking it easy on her now, Kenai!”</p>
<p>“Are you really going to let a girl beat you?  Maybe both of you belong in the healer’s hut!”</p>
<p>“I don’t know.  Maybe she is a boy.  I don’t see any tits, do you?”</p>
<p>Kenai’s back stiffened and he moved to stand in front of me to block me from their view.  It wasn’t as effective as he’d hoped.  My last growth spurt had put me at a height even with his, which made me at least a head taller than any other girl in the village.  “Back off,” he warned them, glaring at the one who spoke last.  “And keep your eyes to yourself.”</p>
<p>I bristled.  “You don’t have to protect me, Kenai.  I can handle it on my own.”</p>
<p>“You heard the freak.”  This from Bato, the largest of the group.  “You don’t need to protect her.  Or is it ‘him’?  Maybe the rumors are true and you really are a boy.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?  Maybe the rumors are true and you really are dumber than a buffalo yak,” I snapped, stepping out from behind my brother.</p>
<p>An ugly snarl marred his face.  He stepped forward, stopped only by a thin wall of ice that suddenly shot up between us.  Master Amak stepped into the ring with his spear and looked pointedly at all of us.  “That’s enough!”  His old, worn voice carried across the ring as surely as if he were a young man in his prime.  “We are all Water Tribe here.  I expect those claiming to be warriors to have better things to do than pick fights with girls,” he said, glaring at Bato.  His grey eyes turned on me.  “And I would expect Tennoq’s blood would show more wisdom and restraint.”</p>
<p>It might have ended there.  We should have all left the ring and gone home, muttering obscenities under our breaths.  We should have let it go.  But I couldn’t.  I didn’t.</p>
<p>I clenched my fists and stomped my foot.  “He started it!” I shouted.</p>
<p>Three words.  Three childish words uttered by a girl who was not a girl - a girl who stood as tall as a warrior and spoke with the voice of a young man ready to run the ice.</p>
<p>The ice wall melted with a wave of Bato’s brawny arm.  “I don’t care who her father is.  She needs to learn her place.”</p>
<p>Kenai dropped into a defensive stance.  “That’s not going to happen.”</p>
<p>“Of course it won’t,” I said, letting the crowd hear my confidence.  “Because the only one here who’s going to learn a lesson is Bato.”</p>
<p>Master Amak shook his head.  He looked me over and asked, “Is this what you want, Nimiuktuk?”</p>
<p>I nodded.</p>
<p>“I won’t condone it, child.”</p>
<p>“That’s fine.”</p>
<p>“And I won’t interfere.  No matter what,” he warned.</p>
<p>“That’s fine,” I repeated.</p>
<p>Master Amak took Kenai’s arm to lead him out of the ring.  He wouldn’t budge until I gave his hand a squeeze and said, “I’ll be okay.  I promise.”  Kenai nodded and reluctantly followed Master Amak.</p>
<p>Only Bato and I remained in the ring.  It was close enough to moonrise that I could feel the full moon hovering on the edge of the horizon even though there was a little sunlight left to cast long shadows over the ground.  Bato tossed his weapons to his friends so that we were both unarmed save for our waterbending.  He returned to the center of the ring and loomed over me.  He was so tall and broad-shouldered that even I felt small next to him.  His hair was as shaggy as the thick furs draped over his shoulders and wrapped around his waist.  I mused that perhaps the buffalo yak had been an appropriate comparison after all.</p>
<p>“It’s just you and me now, freak,” he muttered.</p>
<p>“Good.”</p>
<p>The match began with the usual round of basic attacks, but I got the impression that Bato thought he was toying with me.  I let him continue to think that while I tested his defenses.  A couple of the more experienced warriors fell quiet, now sensing the imbalance between us.  To say there was an imbalance would be an understatement.  This is not arrogance.  It is simply the truth.  And one truth I had learned about men like Bato is that the untalented cannot always recognize those with talent, and they think that brute strength makes them powerful.</p>
<p>They are wrong.</p>
<p>The fight began in earnest when I landed a solid blow with a water whip.  It drove the air from Bato’s lungs and the warriors laughed at his bent, gasping form.  I felt Bato’s rage boil up like a storm over the sea.  He quickly became more forceful and aggressive, but there was no finesse behind it.  I let him wear himself out.  I side-stepped and slid and turned aside each attack, moving the way water flows past obstacle after obstacle.  Bato’s breathing became ragged.  The crowd grew silent.  This was not a game, and they all knew it now.</p>
<p> I feigned a stumble and lured Bato into a direct attack.  He lunged.  I kicked out to raise the ice under his feet at an angle, using it and his own momentum to send him flying through the air.  He landed at the base of a sloped, icy cliff just outside the ring.  I turned away.  The fight was over.</p>
<p>I felt the pull of Bato’s waterbending before I heard my brother’s warning.  I turned without looking and somehow caught the avalanche, wresting control from Bato and stopping it halfway down the ice cliff.  It was small by avalanche standards, but the weight of the snow and the boulders caught up in it would have been enough to maim or even kill.  I felt true rage then.  Bato had meant to kill me.  I swept it aside with both arms and let it fall harmlessly off to the side.</p>
<p>Bato stared at me, wide-eyed and scared.  He dropped to his knees and let out an exhausted puff of breath that crystallized in the air before him.  I felt the moisture of it leave his body and I condensed it into tiny shards of ice.  And then I flicked my wrist.</p>
<p>//</p>
<p>No one stopped Kenai.  They were so busy with Bato that they didn’t notice him rush over to drag me away.  Or maybe they were too shocked.  I don’t know.  Truly, I hardly remember what happened next.  There was screaming and blood dripping from between Bato’s fingers as he pressed his hands to his face.  Men shouted.  There were calls for a healer and a stretcher.</p>
<p>“We have to go.  Now!”</p>
<p>Kenai’s grip crushed my hand, but I didn’t argue.  We ran, bending the snow and ice beneath our feet so that each step seemed to move along the crest of a racing wave.  We ran until we reached a place where one of the great glaciers meets the sea.</p>
<p>Kenai finally dropped my hand and collapsed to the ground, panting.  I followed him and worked to control my own breathing.  What had I done?</p>
<p>“His family will claim a blood debt,” he said eventually.  There was no accusation in his voice.  Just fact.</p>
<p>“He’s alive.  A healer can fix him.”</p>
<p>Kenai shook his head.  “You’ve blinded him, Nimi.  I didn’t get a good look, but I don’t think there’s enough of his eyes left to heal.”</p>
<p>I swallowed hard and looked around.  “I screwed up, didn’t I?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, you did.”  Kenai pulled me into a fierce hug.  “It’s okay.  It’s going to be okay.  I promise.”</p>
<p>A blood debt.  His family would demand a punishment to match my crime.  They would demand I be blinded, oo, or worse.  No, nothing was going to be okay, no matter what Kenai promised.  I shuddered and cried.  The only alternative would be to choose exile, but father would sooner hand me over to the tribe for justice.  There was no doubt about that.  He would think running the more shameful choice, and he wouldn’t want that stain on his family.</p>
<p>Kenai pulled back after a moment and affectionately brushed aside the hair that had fallen loose from my wolftail.  “You have to leave, Nimi,” he whispered.  As if he read my thoughts, he held onto me and added, “Father won’t…  He’s not going to defend you.”</p>
<p>“What do I do?”  I wiped at my tears and sniffled.</p>
<p>“I’ll think of something.”  My brother rocked me and rubbed my back as I sobbed into his shoulder.  “I don’t know what, yet.  But I’ll think of something.”</p>
<p>//</p>
<p>“Something” turned out to be a boat and a promise.</p>
<p>Kenai left me at the glacier and told me to wait there until he returned.  I carved a small cave and huddled inside, trusting him to take care of me as he always had.  I sat there and time crawled by.  The sun was gone and the full moon had already traced its course across the night sky by the time Kenai returned.</p>
<p>The sound of water lapping against wood is what alerted me to his presence.  I feared that a hunting party had stumbled upon my hiding place.  Or worse - that they were looking for me and were ready to bring me back to face the tribe.  But it was neither of those things.  Just Kenai on a boat.  It was larger and more stable than our kayaks.  Boats like that were built for trips in open water, but were still small enough to be operated by a crew of two or three people, or one prodigious waterbender.</p>
<p>I climbed out of my little cave and froze the water around the boat so Kenai could hop off and join me.  He wasted no time on greetings.  He gestured at the bundles wrapped in waterproof otter penguin and seal furs.</p>
<p>“There’s enough puffin-seal sausages, dried penguin fish, and sea prunes to last a few days.  You’ll find a short spear and some fishing hooks and line in the basket next to the mast,” said Kenai.</p>
<p>I shook my head.  Wood was too precious, too expensive here in the land of hard tundra and ice.  “Whose boat is that?  I can’t take it.”</p>
<p>Kenai smiled reassuringly.  “It’s Master Amak’s.  He said he feels responsible because he never should have allowed the fight.  He wants you to have it - says it’ll make up for his lapse in judgement.”</p>
<p>“Kenai, I…”</p>
<p>The smile dropped from his face.  “I know this is hard, Nimi, but you have to go.  Even if you pay the blood debt, they won’t forget.  It’s not safe for you anymore.  And even if it were, father would… well...”</p>
<p>I rubbed my arms.  “I understand.”</p>
<p>“I have to stay,” he said apologetically.  “I need to stay for mother.  I’ll tell father I went after you and couldn’t follow your trail.  He won’t like it, but he’ll believe it because I’m his only son and he won’t disown me.”</p>
<p>I nodded and looked out over the water to find the moon.  “The moon will be gone soon.  If I leave now, I’ll have a few hours of darkness.”</p>
<p>Kenai grinned.  “I knew you always listened to those old warriors talk about raiding tactics.”</p>
<p>I shrugged and smiled with a happiness I did not feel.  “Looks like it’ll finally come in handy.”</p>
<p>“Hopefully, you won’t have to use that knowledge too often,” said Kenai.  His voice dropped to a whisper.  “Promise me you’ll find a way to be safe and happy.  Promise me.”</p>
<p>“I promise.”</p>
<p>There were more hugs and tears from both of us after that.  Eventually, I climbed aboard the boat and raised the sail.  I watched my brother until the water took me far enough that I could no longer make out the features of his tear-streaked face.</p>
<p>It’s been decades since that night.  I can no longer remember what my parents or sisters looked like, though I see echoes of them in my own face when I look in a mirror.  But I remember Kenai.  I will always remember.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Teacher</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There is nothing exciting to say about my first few weeks on the run.  I fled with the clothes on my back and the provisions in my boat.  I knew little about the world outside my home except that the Earth Kingdom was to the south.  So I went south.  The boat was not made for long journeys on open water and I was fortunate to avoid the spring storms long enough to reach the shelter of the Earth Kingdom coast.  The Hujiang Mountains dominated the coastline, stabbing the sky with their sharp, frozen peaks.  With mountains to the south and the tribe to the north, my best option was to keep sailing.  I followed the current west.</p><p>I drifted along the coast in this way for quite some time.  It was easy to count the days at first, but they began to blend together before too long.  I might have lost track altogether if not for the moon.  Fresh fish supplemented my provisions and desalinating water is a simple enough task for a waterbender.  I kept the coast in sight so that I could pull into shore to sleep or ride out unpleasant weather.  I found no settlements clinging desperately to the cold, inhospitable coast.  I never saw so much as a fishing boat or village during those first weeks.</p><p>All in all, it was uneventful.  It might even have been pleasant under other circumstances.  Unfortunately, I found little enjoyment in it.  I was bitter and lonely.  I had nothing but my thoughts to occupy myself, and my mind was quite busy.</p><p>I did not spare much thought for Bato.  He had intended to harm me - possibly even kill me.  I defended myself.  Blinding him was not something I regretted.  I was more worried about my future.  My instinct had been to go to the South Pole, but I didn’t know the way and I had no map.  Would the southerners even accept a banished northerner?  Our tribes parted ways over a hundred years ago, but I knew that those among the living might still carry their ancestors’ grudges.  There was also the question of what I would do once I got there.  I had skills, but could I find work?  Where would I stay?  I had no family in the South.  No connections.  I had nothing but my little boat, and I doubted it would even survive a trip to the other side of the world.  It was pure luck that I’d made it as far as I had.</p><p>I eventually settled on a plan.  I would follow the coast until I found a village where I could find work and get my bearings.  From there, I would sail to the nearest port and find a place on a more seaworthy vessel that would take me to the South Pole.  After that… I did not know, but it was better than having no plan at all.</p><p>Of course, I soon learned that the universe was not obligated to respect my plans.</p><p>I finally reached the end of the mountains one afternoon.  I’d been at sea for over a month with nothing but water and inhospitable coast for as far as I could see, and the sudden change in scenery was a shock.  A great river divided the mountain range from rolling, pink hills and soft, pale cliffs.  I drew closer, crossing the tricky currents where the river’s warmer green-blue waters spilled into the wine-dark sea.  It took me a while to understand that the blankets of white and pink draped over the hills were blossoms on trees.  Patches of brilliant greens, dark greens, pale greens - so many greens! - peeked out from behind the occasional gaps in the blossoms.  I had never seen so many trees, nor such a blend of vibrant colors.  It was overwhelming.  Even the air changed as I drew near, growing warmer and more gentle than the biting air I was used to.  It was such an assault on my senses that I almost didn’t notice the smoke.</p><p>My eyes traced the rising tendrils of smoke down to a settlement perched on the edge of a cliff, straddling a thunderous waterfall.  A smaller cluster of structures was nestled near the base of the cliffs and I guessed it was a fishing village that supported the settlement above.  A large ship was rapidly burning down to the waterline.  There was no saving the vessel, and a swarm of sailors were hurriedly unloading its cargo.  A small cluster of shabby, untouched fishing boats looked almost comical amid the destruction.</p><p>I scanned the area and noticed a ship sailing quickly - too quickly - away from shore.  I did not linger on this fact, nor its implications.  This turned out to be both a mistake and a blessing, though I would not recognize it as such for quite some time.</p><p>I swung my arms in strong, rhythmic arcs and bent waves to carry my boat to shore as quickly as possible.  One last wave beached my boat and I sprinted towards the nearest body.  There was nothing heroic about the way my sea-weary legs sent me stumbling across the rocky beach, but the man I found was already too dead to care anyway.  I staggered over to a young woman who slumped against the dock, blood pouring profusely from a head wound.  Water glowed strong and bright between my hands as I assessed her injury and did what I could to heal any life-threatening injuries.  She would have nothing more than a scar and a broken ankle when she awoke.</p><p>The next two survivors were less lucky.  I managed to stop the screaming woman’s bleeding, but I could do nothing to replace the arm that now ended in a ragged stump.  The young man next to her had a gut wound so severe I wasn’t sure he would make it through the night.  I was able to help close the wound and numb the pain, and I told myself that would have to do.</p><p>I was working on a man with an arrow in his chest and a collapsed lung when the soldiers arrived.  I heard them before I saw them.  A platform of earth descended the cliff face and six heavily-armed soldiers ran out in my direction.  They wore green uniforms with strange, wide-brimmed hats.  I started to wave and point to a pregnant woman who needed help, but the soldiers froze and pointed their spears at me.</p><p>“What are you doing?” I shouted.  “They need your help!”</p><p>The soldiers fanned out, keeping me in the center of their pointy circle.  They were close enough now that I could see the undisguised hostility and disgust in their faces.  One with the bearing of a leader gestured for two of them to approach me.  He eyed the glowing water between my hands and said, “Don’t move.  You won’t make it off this beach if you so much as think about bending water, boy.”</p><p>“Does it look like I’m trying to hurt anyone?” I snapped, not bothering to correct him.  Retrospectively, it was not the most diplomatic response I could have given.   </p><p>Two of the soldiers advanced on me and I shrugged off the one who grabbed my shoulder.  That earned me a quick spearbutt to the back of my knee.  I lashed out with a water whip and sent one of the soldiers flying backward.  The fight was over almost as quickly as it began.  I was skilled, but not skilled enough to take on six trained soldiers.  Pain lanced through me and I looked down to see a spearpoint in my side.  Blood spilled warm and dark onto the sand at my feet.  Disbelief froze me and something hard hit my face and chest.  And then it all went dark.</p><p>//</p><p>Everything hurt.  Murmuring voices thick with an unfamiliar accent filled my head.  I dreamed of someone - a physician - stitching my side.  And then it was Kenai stitching me, clucking his tongue and scolding me for being rash.  Then it was night time and a guard slept in the corner of the room.  Bato stood nearby with blood seeping from his eyeless face.  Daytime again, and the man with an arrow in his chest loomed over an old woman’s shoulder, staring with blatant curiosity as she changed a bandage on my lower face.  A strange broth trickled down my throat and I think I cried.</p><p>//</p><p>I was not alone when I fully regained consciousness.  The old woman was there and she hardly batted an eye when she noticed I was awake.  She inspected the bandage at my side and said, “Don’t move so quickly, girl.  You lost a lot of blood and fractured two ribs.”  She drew a bucket close and added, “You might need this.  I had to give you more opium than I would have liked.”</p><p>Movement near the door to the room caught my attention.  A guard peeked in and, upon seeing I was awake, nodded to someone just out of my line of sight.  I heard footsteps retreating down a hall and tried to lift my head to get a better view of the small room.  I only got a glimpse before the sharp pain in my ribs and cheek made me regret my decision.  A narrow window supplemented the light that came in through the door.  There was a small stool in the corner, but the old woman chose to squat next to my pallet.  The floor was clean and bare.  It wasn’t exactly a dungeon, but it wasn’t the guest quarters, either.  </p><p>There must have been some opium left in my body because I still felt disoriented, and it wasn’t until I looked down that I realized I was wearing nothing more than bandages and a thin blanket at my waist.  The old woman swatted aside my hands as I tried to pull the blanket up.</p><p>“I’m not done.  Besides, it’s not like I haven’t already seen it all,” she said.</p><p>Despite her dismissive tone, she quickly finished her work and pulled the blanket up to my chin.  Anger and irritation darkened her face when a stout, middle-aged man swept into the room, followed by a pair of guards.  The room was suddenly very crowded.</p><p>The stout man looked me over and seemed almost disgusted with what he saw.  He stroked his long mustaches for a moment before addressing me.  “I am Chenglei, magistrate of the Su Oku River Province,” he said.  “I have questions, and you will answer them.”</p><p>I don’t know if it was the lingering opium or the man’s air of self-importance - or perhaps both - but a giggle rose in me until my broken ribs gave me another sharp reminder that giggles were not in my best interest.  “You stabbed me.  And now you want to ask questions?”</p><p>The old woman scowled.  Her pale complexion and warm eyes marked her as an outsider amongst these green and grey-eyed men.  She put a hand on my shoulder and faced Chenglei.</p><p>“Perhaps the magistrate would prefer to delay his interrogation until my patient is more coherent,” she suggested.</p><p>Chenglei tensed.  “The raiders were from the Water Tribe, and your… patient is clearly one of those savages.  Now move, and let me ask my questions.”</p><p>The old woman somehow managed to convey the sense of looking down on Chenglei, even though he was at least a head taller than her.  “I must regretfully remind the minister that I do not answer to any Earth Kingdom authorities, and this child is under my protection.”</p><p>“The sages’ retreat and the village are both under my protection,” he protested, “and I will see justice done.”</p><p>“I’m sure you will, Chenglei.”</p><p>Chenglei stiffened and turned to face the woman who stood in the doorway.  His posture screamed defensive and insecure, though he tried desperately to hide it.  Even I - a waterbender from a village almost a full day’s walk from our capital city of Agna Qel’a - could understand Chenglei’s reaction.  The woman was only a little taller than Chenglei, but she might as well have towered over him.  Amber eyes blazed in a pale face with sharp features that matched her demeanor.  Her hair was pulled into a high topknot and fell in a glossy, black sheet over her shoulders.  She wore simple, yet elegant layers of charcoal and maroon edged in black and gold.  Everything about her screamed power and authority, even though I doubted she’d ever raised one of those perfectly manicured hands in a fight.</p><p>The Earth Kingdom magistrate recovered his composure and bowed.  “Lady Iksumi, we are honored by the presence of our noble guest.”</p><p>She raised a single eyebrow.  “Are you, magistrate?”</p><p>“Pardon?”</p><p>“Are you honored by my presence?” she asked.  Chenglei did not seem to know how to respond, so she continued, “Tell me, Chenglei, what business could you have with this child?”</p><p>The old woman’s hand tightened on my arm as if she knew I wanted to protest being referred to as a child.</p><p>“Lady Iksumi, I would not wish to waste your time over such a trivial matter.  This raider must have been left behind by the others when they fled.  It is my duty to see that she faces judgement for her crimes,” Chenglei said.</p><p>The beautiful woman turned the full power of her gaze on him, though her words were as much for him as for everyone else within earshot.  “You spoke of honor and duty only moments ago, Chenglei.  Would you not agree that it is both honorable and dutiful for one to seek truth and act accordingly?”</p><p>“Of course, Lady Iksumi.”</p><p>Unexpectedly, she turned to me and asked, “Do you know the raiders who attacked the sanctuary and village?”</p><p>“No,” I managed to rasp.</p><p>“Why did you come ashore?”</p><p>My voice was stronger this time.  “People were hurt.  They needed help.  I have training.  As a healer,” I clarified.</p><p>“Did you know the people you helped?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Did you know what had happened?”</p><p>“I saw the fires and the ship.  I saw…”  I trailed off and thought about the ship and how it sailed off impossibly fast and against the wind.  “There were waterbenders on the ship, and I’ve heard rumors about pirates from the Water Tribe.  I guessed there had been an attack.”</p><p>Lady Iksumi cocked her head.  “You inferred that there was an attack - possibly involving some of your own people - and you knew no one on that beach.  You had no obligation to stop and help, and you did so anyway.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>I thought for a moment.  “I don’t know.  It just seemed like the right thing to do.”</p><p>She nodded as if it were the most reasonable response I could have given.  “You see, Magistrate?” she gestured with open hands.  “Women in the Northern Water Tribe - you are from the North, aren’t you?” she waited for me to nod and continued, “Women in the North who are waterbenders are trained as healers.  It is their duty to heal.  To protect life.  And this child chose to help strangers who had been harmed by some of her own people even though it meant risking her own safety.  What better display of duty and honor could we ask for?”</p><p>Being an outcast meant I could no longer claim any ties to the Tribe, but I did not bother to correct her assumptions.  Instead, I watched the way the guards covertly glanced at one another and at their magistrate.  I knew how it looked to them.  Lady Iksumi made sure they saw me as nothing more than a wounded, vulnerable castaway.  The magistrate seemed a petty, impotent bully in comparison.  If he would stoop to using a defenseless child as a scapegoat, what might he do to them?</p><p>A flush had worked its way up Chenglei’s neck by this point.  “There must be someone to punish for what happened,” he hissed quietly.  “Need I remind you that you are a guest here, Lady Iksumi?”</p><p>Lady Iskumi’s composure remained as implacable as it was when she first walked into the room.  “And need I remind you, Magistrate, that to punish an innocent person is dishonorable enough on its own, but to punish a member of my household without my consent is a direct assault on my honor and the honor of my clan?  It’s bad enough that you’re already responsible for the death of one of my men.”</p><p>Chenglei inhaled sharply.  “This savage is no member of any Fire Nation clan.  And your errand boy died in the raid.”</p><p>Now the woman’s face did betray some semblance of anger.  Lady Iksumi’s eyes flickered to the old woman who seemed to have turned to stone at my side.  “I am holding you responsible for his death, Magistrate Chenglei.  It is your duty to protect your guests, and Ran might have lived if your oafish men hadn’t attacked the one healer who was on the beach that day.”  She looked directly at me and added, “In recognition of her honorable actions, the Haeju clan opens its arms to this child.”</p><p>And that is how I met my teacher, Lady Iksumi, cousin to the Fire Lord and matriarch of the Haeju clan.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>